For your reference, we have assembled a sample budget with estimated costs for students receiving financial aid. This should serve as a guide to reasonable expenses and help you make financial decisions in preparation for attending Michigan Law.
We strongly recommend creating a budget for your individual situation prior to borrowing for the academic year. The Financial Aid Office would be happy to provide individual budget counseling. Please contact us for more details.
Estimated Budget
This budget includes tuition and living expenses for the 8-month 2023-2024 academic year. Please note that expenses within specific categories may vary significantly from student to student. Michigan Law does not question variations within each category so long as the total amount of financial aid does not exceed the budget.
| In-state | Out-of-state | |
Total |
$93,948 |
$96,948 |
Tuition and Fees |
$69,584 |
$72,584 |
Other Expenses
|
$24,364 |
$24,364 |
| Rent, Utilities, and Food | $18,788 | $18,788 |
| Books and Supplies | $1,300 | $1,300 |
| Medical | Please see insurance note below. | |
| Personal Expenses (clothing/laundry, recreation/entertainment, phone, misc.) |
$3,656 | $3,656 |
| Transportation | $400 | $400 |
| Loan Origination Fees | $220 | $220 |
| MPRE/Bar Exam Expenses | Please see note below. | |
F and J Visa Holders
Please note that an additional international student fee of $500 per semester applies.
Please note: Your aid from all sources, including from loans, grants, and scholarships, may not exceed your individual cost of attendance based on the budget outlined here (and any approved adjustments).
Other Budget Items
The additional allowable expenses listed below are the most common. Other expenses not listed, if documented, may be allowed as permitted by federal regulations.
Allowable Expenses
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Child Care Costs
Allowances will be made for child care costs in single parent situations or if the other parent is a student or is employed. Allowances for child care are made in accordance with the reasonable expenses incurred.
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Computers
We urge all students to have a computer while attending law school. We are able to increase the budget one time only to allow the purchase of a computer and printer up to $2,000 from loan sources. We strongly recommend purchasing insurance or an extended warranty. Recommended configurations are available from the IT Department.
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Insurance
We feel strongly that all students should have excellent health insurance. Because we know that many of our students remain on their parent’s health insurance, we do not automatically build that cost into our budget, but we are happy to increase your budget for the academic year with documented insurance costs.
We also encourage all students to take out renters insurance.
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Medical Expenses Not Covered by Insurance
If you have medical insurance, we will increase your budget for necessary medical costs that your insurance policy will not cover.
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MPRE and Bar Exam Expenses
*All 3L students will have $529 added to the winter term of their budget for MPRE and Bar Exam expenses. Students who incur expenses that exceed what is budgeted may request an increase for the difference.
Non-allowable Expenses
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Vehicles
We cannot increase your budget for auto loan payments, auto insurance, repairs, or parking tickets. If there is a pressing need for a vehicle, please consult our office.
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Consumer Debt
We cannot include debt incurred prior to attending law school, including credit card debt. We encourage you to reduce or eliminate all consumer debt before enrolling.
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Additional Expenses
We cannot increase your budget for moving expenses, job-related expenses, expenses incurred prior to law school, or summer expenses during times of non-enrollment, as these expenses are not related to your education.